Graduate trainees encouraged to become leaders

New apprenticeships have been launched to assist the progression of graduates within the engineering industry, it has emerged.

Bosch Rexroth managing director Paul Cooke told the Independent that the renewable energy solution firm's new apprenticeship programme hopes to provide graduate trainees with a supported path to professional qualifications.

"Through a process of continuous mentoring and reviewing, we produce high quality engineers," Mr Cooke told the newspaper.

Three apprentices from the programme entered the last EEF Apprenticeship of the Year awards with one trainee coming runner-up in the national competition, he added.

The idea of training graduates is to invest in the capabilities of young engineers who can lead the business in the future and ensure they have the required skills for the services Bosch Rexroth provides to its customers, Mr Cooke described in the article.

"We encourage our graduates to develop the skills to be able to lead the business into the future, equipping them with vital professional engineering and management qualifications," he told the newspaper.

Recent figures from the Association of Graduate Recruiters predicted graduate vacancies to increase by 16.4 per cent in 2008.